Chapter 94 Finding our Rythm
Chapter 94: Finding Our Rhythm (Elena’s POV)
The police car didn't stay long. It turned out they were just delivering a formal warning from the school board about my scholarship status, trying to scare us into running back to Julian. But looking out the window of our new cottage, watching the red and blue lights fade down the driveway, I didn't feel the paralyzing fear I used to feel.
Liam was standing right beside me, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. He looked at the yellow envelope in his hand, ripped it in half, and tossed it straight into the trash can by the door.
"They're desperate, El," Liam said, turning me around so I was facing him. "They realized they can't use your mom's bills to control you anymore, so they're trying to use the school regulations. I'm not letting them touch your graduation."
"Liam, if the board audits my file, they can pause my scholarship while they 'investigate' my new address," I said, leaning my forehead against his chest. I felt so tired, but his heartbeat was steady beneath his hoodie, calming me down. "They just want to make our lives a mess."
"Then let it be a mess," Liam whispered, lifting my chin with his fingers so I had to look at him. His eyes were soft, completely different from the harsh glare he gave Maya in the courtyard. "We survived the rain, we survived Julian, and we survived my dad. A bunch of angry parents on a school board aren't going to break us. I’m going to handle them. Every single one."
I couldn't help but smile, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck. "You're very confident for a guy who just got kicked off the hockey team."
"I lost the team, but I got the tutor," he teased, a genuine laugh breaking through his serious expression. He leaned down and kissed me—a sweet, lingering kiss that made the chaotic world outside the cottage completely vanish. "I think I won the trade."
The next few days became a strange mix of high school warfare and absolute domestic bliss. Every morning, Liam would wake up early, make a terrible attempt at cooking scrambled eggs, and help me adjust my knee brace before we drove to school.
At Northview High, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Maya and Chloe had completely weaponized the student body against us. People wouldn't sit at our table in the cafeteria, and someone had even scrawled the word 'FRAUD' across my locker in black marker.
But every time someone whispered or glared, Liam was right there. He didn't use his fists anymore because he knew that's what they wanted—an excuse to expel him. Instead, he just held my hand tighter, staring down anyone who dared to step too close. He carried my books, escorted me to every single class, and stood by my side like an unbreakable shield. It was the cutest, most chaotic version of high school love, and I was completely falling for it.
On Friday afternoon, we were sitting on the back porch of the cottage. The sun was setting, painting the sky in warm shades of orange and pink. Liam had a history textbook open on his lap, but he wasn't reading. He was watching me practice walking without the brace.
"Take it easy," he cautioned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "The doctor said don't force it."
"I'm fine, look," I said, taking three slow, steady steps toward him. My knee twinged a little, but it held my weight. "No cane, no brace."
"Come here," he murmured, extending his hands.
I took the final step and sank into his lap. He immediately wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I laughed, the sound loud and clear in the quiet evening air.
"You're very clingy today, Vance," I joked, running my fingers through his thick, messy hair.
"I'm allowed to be," he muttered against my skin, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "I spent the last two years pretending I didn't notice you every time you walked past the locker room. I'm making up for lost time."
"You noticed me?" I asked, pulling back slightly to look at him.
"Of course I did," Liam said, his expression becoming serious. "You were the only girl in this entire school who didn't care about the hockey roster or my dad's cars. You looked right through me like I was invisible. It drove me crazy."
"I didn't think I was invisible," I whispered, my heart doing a strange, happy dance. "I just thought you were an arrogant jock who needed to study more."
"I was," he smiled, leaning up to press his lips to mine. The kiss was deep and full of emotion, erasing every bad memory of the past week. We were broke, the school hated us, and we had a massive legal battle waiting for us on Monday, but right here in his arms, none of it mattered.
We stayed out on the porch until the stars came out, just talking, laughing, and planning how we would decorate the small living room once my mom came home from the clinic. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a partner—someone who wasn't just helping me survive, but someone who was willing to fight the entire world just to see me smile.